Luminaire is pleased to host the North American debut of Alternative by prolific Spanish designer and architect Joan Lao. Rejecting artifice in favor of simplicity, Alternative comes from a design outlook where furniture goes beyond decorative elements to arrive at a life concept concerned with balance and harmony. The objects that comprise the line are meant to be enjoyed with all five senses and are intended to convey a sense of well-being.
Alternative redefines what it means to be modern. Drawing on a legacy with roots in Bauhaus philosophies regarding essential, purpose-driven design, the incorporation of geometry and the primary importance of proportion, Lao’s work also demands the integration of sustainability, taking the natural world into consideration through environmentally sound materials and production methods.
Incorporating the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-sabi, a theory that embraces the beauty found in the natural variations of materials and surface textures, the pieces that comprise Alternative integrate various finishes including veneers applied with a special scratching technique, organic pigments, stone, steel, oak and leather. Additionally, Lao makes use of a specialized, resistant lacquer that maintains natural surfaces, but provides exceptional durability.
Luminaire’s curated selection ranges from tables and upholstered furniture to customizable, modular storage systems whose various configurations result in formations that are perfectly proportioned and meet practical storage needs with elegant refinement. Perfectly in concert with Luminaire’s philosophy that good design is a way of life, the debut of Alternative marks a new partnership shaped by a shared belief in the power of design to transform.
March 2011
